


Once upon an end

by xNovilunium



Category: The Arcana (Visual Novel)
Genre: Alternate Universe - Merpeople, Alternate Universe - Pirate, Angst and Fluff and Smut, Asrian, Blood, M/M, Other Additional Tags to Be Added, they/them pronouns for Asra
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2020-03-18
Updated: 2020-03-18
Packaged: 2021-02-28 19:41:33
Rating: Mature
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,580
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/23202652
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/xNovilunium/pseuds/xNovilunium
Summary: Once upon a time, in a kingdom spreading from a luxurious forest, shelter to exotic animals and creatures some would only find in books, to a desert where innocent souls had lost themselves seeking treasures that didn’t exist, there was a pirate longing for more adventures. Adventures about fighting sea monsters, other pirates, defending the weak and defenceless, discovering a new island and giving it his name. All those adventures he had dreamt of as a kid, he was living them with each new day.But there was one adventure, the boy had never dreamt of.
Relationships: Asra/Julian Devorak
Comments: 2
Kudos: 9





	Once upon an end

**Author's Note:**

> *Starts a new AU instead of finishing everything else* Hi, hello, thank you for taking your time to read this :3

Once upon a time, in a kingdom spreading from a luxurious forest, shelter to exotic animals and creatures some would only find in books, to a desert where innocent souls had lost themselves seeking treasures that didn’t exist, there was a pirate longing for more adventures. Adventures about fighting sea monsters, other pirates, defending the weak and defenceless, discovering a new island and giving it his name. All those adventures he had dreamt of as a kid, he was living them with each new day. 

But there was one adventure, the boy had never dreamt of.

Legs dangling above the waves, Julian watched the horizon, admired the colours the setting sun displayed in the sky. A sigh left his lips, concern on his face. For once, watching the sun set didn’t lift up his mood. Because for once, his captain didn’t seem to know where he was leading the crew. Even though he had told them their next destination would bring them more treasures than they ever had.

They had spent weeks, months, sailing seas, seeing nothing else than the blue sky and calm waves. A few dolphins here and there. A ship to sack. But no precise destination. Julian had sailed with his captain for years, but never had he acted like this, keeping secrets from him, not sharing their exact destination. Their goal. And after all, why would he? Julian was just a mere doctor on that ship. Only useful to patch drunk pirates who had been fighting to death. Their only distraction on that ship, fights, to Julian’s greatest dismay. More than once had he tried to bring them all together, when the moon was high in the sky and the sea silent, to share stories, play music like he had done so many nights with his previous crew. They all had refused, even the captain too busy in his quarters, focused on maps.

Except for the youngest member of the crew, and a curious creature who had caught his attention one night.

Julian sensed movement under him. Slow, barely visible, except for that patch of white hair, and pink tail. He moved on the edge of the window, feet pressed against the wood, and watched the tiny waves hitting the ship with each of their movement, a smile splitting his face in half. Then, as he thought that maybe they weren’t in the mood today for their chat, he saw their face break the surface of the ocean, pale smiling eyes looking back at him.

“Are you going to follow us till the end of the world?” He asked, a grin on his lips.

Truth be told, Julian wouldn’t mind if they did. He liked their company, their talks late into the night when the whole crew was supposed to be sleeping, talks that had started merely a week after they left land. It had been strange at first, to talk with a creature of the sea he had only heard stories about. Not always good ones.

“I’m a traveller,” they said, water to their shoulders. “It just happens that we’re going the same direction.”

“Isn’t it rather because you have a liking for me? Hm?”

“Not a chance.”

“Aw come on Asra, we both know it’s the truth!”

Before Julian could add something else, or even laugh, they jumped out of the water, high enough to put their hands on the edge, nose touching Julian’s. "Is it though?" They asked, mischief in their voice.

Colours found their way to Julian’s face and neck, who could only mumble incomprehensible words. He had always found Asra to be fascinating, in their own way, and the fact that had been following the ship – whether they wanted to admit it or not – was cute. Julian had been daydreaming that day, like every other day when a voice had called him from bellow. And so, they had spent the night talking, getting to know each other as they were so, so different, coming from two worlds far apart. All the while being careful that no one would see them. Because in the middle of that first night, Asra had admitted just how much they hated humans, but couldn’t prevent themselves from stopping to believe some of them weren’t the monsters they had encountered.

And just the same as that first night, Julian talked with them for hours. Unaware that their worlds would be shattered.

* * *

Sat on the bowsprit, just above the figurehead – a winged skeleton holding a spear – Julian started to regret staying so long in the sun. But he was waiting for them. He wanted to see them. Three days had passed, three days with no signs of Asra and their pink tail, scales kissing their temples and shoulders. No signs of their laugh, their hushed words, their palmed fingers brushing his bang out of his eyes. No signs at all, and Julian missed them a lot.

Maybe they had found something more interesting down there. Maybe they had finally reached their destination and hadn’t wanted to tell him goodbye. Or maybe a sea serpent had eaten them, the bottom of the ocean scattered with their bones. And in a few days, Julian would accept the fact that he’ll never see them again, mourn their loss with bottles of rum. If there was still any.

The thought of losing them gave him nausea. Deep down, he hoped they were only exploring the ocean, still following the ship.

“Is everything alright, doctor?”

Julian turned on the bowsprit, facing the newcomer. A young boy, not even in his twenties yet, hair as red as his, tattered shirt and pants too big for his skinny shape, a scar across his left eye. A young boy on a ship full of dangerous men. A young boy that shouldn’t be here. A young boy he had grown close to, one he loved as the little brother he never had.

“It's Ilya for you, Nat. How many times should I remind you this?”

“Sorry doc– Ilya.” He said, cheeks red. “I’m not used to it…”

“Is there something that I can do for you? Cut your finger again?”

“Oh, so you really forgot.”

“Forgot what?”

“Our chess game.”

“Oh.” Guilt spread to his face, and for a moment he realised just how much he had neglected his relationship with Nathanael. A boy who looked up to him, even though Julian was far from being the perfect example to follow. “Erm, well, you’ve got all my attention now. Shall we?”

“No, I’m not in the mood today.” Nat said, then joined him on the bowsprit. “What’s going on in your mind? You’re acting so strangely these past days.”

“Well, you see,” but Julian couldn’t finish his sentence. Because at the same moment, the captain left his quarters, and ordered to stop the ship.

“That looks no fun at all.” Nat said, more to himself than expecting Julian to listen to him.

In no time, everyone was on the deck, surrounding their captain and listening to him. He told the crew to get the nets and harpoons ready, that they had a visitor, one they had been expecting for days, hoping they would come close enough to the ship for them to capture. He told them that, thanks to their dear doctor, the whole crew would be able to drink, eat and fuck as they please once they’d reach land. Because Julian had gained the creature’s trust. Because Julian, although unconsciously, had made them richer than they could ever dream of.

His stomach twisted. Never had he imagined that his secret talks with Asra hadn’t been secret at all, that they knew of their existence and that they were now in danger because of him. Julian had fucked up. Big times. But he could still maybe jump overboard, warn them, and reach dry land swimming. Julian was no fool. They were too far away from land, even if he’d warn Asra he wouldn’t reach it before weeks. That was long enough for him to die in the middle of the ocean. Or by their swords, treating him like a traitor, making him walk the plank.

“There!” A man shouted.

Julian didn’t move, couldn’t move, only watched them throw their nets and harpoons. Watched them scream to get it. Watched them pull the nets back on the deck. Watched them with horror fall on the ground, blood oozing from their shoulder where a harpoon still was trapped. Watched them hiss and curl onto their body when fighting back led them nowhere. Only to more pain.

“Stories were right,” one of them said, close to him. “Full of pretty mermaids here. Should catch another one.”

“Or leave before the rest of them curse the ship!”

Other remarks followed. How they never tried someone half fish, how pretty they were, how they loved when they fought back. Remarks that only made Julian want to sew their lips shut and throw them overboard, with a bolder tied to their ankles. But Julian couldn’t take his eyes off them. Couldn’t ignore how they glowed with burning hatred.

“Tie it to the mast and let it dry.” A foot on their injured shoulder, the captain pushed them on their back, a sick grin showing missing teeth. “Tonight, we feast.”

“And tomorrow?”

“Tomorrow lads, we set course for Vesuvia.”

Once upon a time, there was a pirate who would soon realise that not every story had the perfect happy ending he wished to experience.


End file.
